Blight Inoculations on Hybrid Chestnuts – Chestnut Return Farm, Seneca, SC, April 17, 2025

Today, several hybrid chestnut trees were inoculated with a fungal culture of Cryphonectria parasitica, which causes chestnut blight, to evaluate the resistance of each tree, at Dr. Joe James’s Chestnut Return Farm. Jamie Van Clief, TACF’s Southern Regional Science Coordinator, directed volunteers for this important work. Clemson professor Dr. Haiying Liang and her students, Roger and Sky, participated. Also, Katie Biggert, from the South Carolina Forestry Commission inoculated trees. Peggy MacDonald, NC/SC Chapter President was also present to help.

Jamie demonstrated the method of inoculating trees with the fungus.

Dr. Joe James with Clemson student Roger.

Clemson students Roger and Sky inoculating hybrid chestnut trees.

Dr. Haiying Liang inoculating chestnut hybrids with Sky and Roger. This was a great hands-on experience for her students.

A healthy F1 American/Chinese hybrid chestnut at the Chestnut Return Farm.

Dr. Joe James with the volunteers on a beautiful spring day.

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The American Chestnut Foundation

2 days ago

I highly recommend checking out this article by Robert Foster, in which he reminisces about the time he helped save a large, standing American chestnut tree. He also shares an older article that tells the full story of the tree and the effort to preserve it. The original piece, published in American Forests magazine, is titled “Saving Something of Value” by Herbert E. McLean and is copied below his introduction.

Click the following link to check it out: rfoster.substack.com/p/one-big-tree

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The American Chestnut Foundation

4 days ago

Meadowview Research Farms is a huge part of our organization. As you can see, a lot happens here. Two of our barns are in serious need of repairs, as they can't be insured and aren't fit to hold our materials and gear.

Help us raise the barn and donate to our Spring Appeal!

Visit the link in our bio to donate!

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Will we ever see an American Chestnut again?

The American Chestnut Foundation

1 week ago

Check out this interview by World Teen where ME Chapter Vice President, Eva Butler, and our Director of Science Implementation, Cassie Stark, discuss the American chestnut and the role recurrent genomic selection has in saving it.

Watch the full video here: teen.gwnews.com/articles/genetic-research-may-save-the-american-chestnut

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And as you continue to study these trees you come to realize that some of these sprouts do live long enough to produce nuts. Then you realize that even in their native range there are a few trees that have survived with blight for many many decades and grow quite large. Then you come to learn that there are in fact many large trees that have been living with blight for many years and continue to grow and produce nuts. I’m sure this group will eventually crack this nut.

Would be nice if more people learn those facts. There is a lot of propaganda out there that tries to mute and downplay what you have discovered. Lately it looks like this group has cracked the nut with the RGS approach and "Best of Best" breeding concepts.

The American Chestnut Foundation

2 weeks ago

May Events! Field season is starting, so get out and help plant some chestnuts!

Visit the following link to register for an event: tacf.org/events/category/tacf/

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